Do you pronounce the L in guillotine?
Guillotine Despite the oft-heard GEE-uh-teen, this word is traditionally pronounced GILL-uh-teen. In the early 19th century, Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language called for the l’s to be pronounced. The word is properly pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable.
Is the H silent in WHIP?
Yes, strictly speaking, the WH in whip should be pronounced as in what, where, when. Most Americans don’t go to the trouble to overpronounce the WH sound, and to most Americans, it sounds affected.
What is the meaning of majority?
A majority, also called a simple majority to distinguish it from similar terms (see the “Related terms” section below), is the greater part, or more than half, of the total. “Majority” can be used to specify the voting requirement, as in a “majority vote”, which means more than half of the votes cast.
David Nilsen is the former editor of Fourth & Sycamore. He is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. You can find more of his writing on his website at davidnilsenwriter.com and follow him on Twitter as @NilsenDavid.